Couch frame



April 6, 1965 H. DEGEN COUCH FRAME Filed Nov. 15, 1962 INVENTOR. HUGO DEGEN FKB. 2

x 525 I g 2M A TTORNEYS.

' United States Patent Office 3,176,323 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 3,176,323 COUCH FRAME Hugo Degen, Oetlingerstrasse 152, Basel, Switzerland Filed Nov. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 237,849 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Dec. 1, 1961, 14,017/61 4 Claims. (Cl. 238) My invention has for its object a frame for a couch or deskchair provided with transverse slats the ends of which rest on elastic supports provided on the inner surfaces of the longitudinal girders of said frame.

In the couch according to my invention, said supports are made out of sections of a single shaped rod of elastic material, said sections being distributed in a sequence corresponding to that of the corresponding ends of the slats while one of their flat surfaces engages the inner surface of the corresponding longitudinal girder and furthermore slat-locking means are provided on the upper parts of the supports and at the ends of the slats.

According to a preferred embodiment of my invention, said locking means are obtained by providing the ends of the slats with a notch formed in the longitudinal medial plane of the slat, said notch engaging the medial rib forming part of a T-shaped lug rigid with the upper part of the support considered.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by Way of example, such a preferred embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the complete couch,

FIG. 2 shows a broken section of one of the longin tudinal girders of the frame of said couch, said view showing the inner surface of said girder,

FIG. 3 is a view from above corresponding to FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a cross-section through line lV-lV of FIG. 2 of the transversal slat in its unloaded position of rest,

FIG. 5 is a similar cross-section showing the slat in its loaded condition.

The frame of a couch according to FIG. 1, includes a skeleton section a to which is pivotally secured a head rest b adapted to be set in any desired angular position. Between the longitudinal girders defining said skeleton a are laid transverse slats c constituted by plywood so as to form together a grating, while each of their ends is positioneld elastically; for this latter purpose, the two longitudinal girders of the skeleton a are provided inwardly with elastic supports generally designated d. These supports are constituted by sections of a shaped bar made for instance of rubber and the cross-section of which corresponds to the outline of the support shown in FIG. 2. The supports d comprise a body portion d with a headed top portion d connected thereto by means of a medial rib g on each side of which there is a slot 1. The sequence of said supports 0! corresponds to the sequence of the ends of the successive slats while one of their flat sides engages the inner surface of the cooperating longitudinal girder of the skeleton a. In order to secure said supports, there are provided on each longitudinal girder, pairs of studs e each of which pairs is adapted to engage the corresponding support d and to said studs correspond in the lower section of said support of openings through which said support is shifted over said studs until it engages the inner lateral surface of the longitudinal girder as clearly shown in FIG. 4. If required, it is possible to provide on the inner surfiace of the longitudinal girders of the skeleton, a longitudinal shoulder serving as a rest for the supports, said supports being furthermore glued on said shoulders through their lower surfaces so as to ensure their secure fastening on the longitudinal girders.

In order to secure the transverse slats c in their position of rest on the supports d, locking means are provided in the upper section of said supports and at the ends of the slats, the ends of the slats 0 showing for this purpose a slot-shaped notch 01 (FIG. 3) extending along the medial longitudinal section of the slat. Each slat is engaged with the support by inserting the ends around the medial rib g and positioning the medial rib g within the slot 0 of the slat. The depth of the notches 01 is such that the bottom thereof, when the rib g is engaged in the notch up to the inner end thereof, is left free between the end of the slat and the longitudinal .girder of the frame, a small clearance x as shown in FIG. 4, whereby any contact between the slats and said longitudinal girders is avoided.

In FIG. 5, which corresponds to FIG. 4, the parts c and d are shown for the loaded condition of the slat grating. For such a condition, the slats c are subjected to a slight downwan'l sagging while the supports d which are secured only through their lower portions have their upper portions slightly spaced with reference to the longitudinal girders. The slat grating is thus subjected to a somewhat yielding suspension. The supports d ensure also a silent operation of the slat grating when under load, and they also allow to a restricted extent a lateral deformation of the transverse slats.

What I claim is:

l. A frame for a lounge and similar piece of furniture, comprising a pair of opposed longitudinal girders, a plunality of transverse slats supported between said girders, a plurality of elastic supports in .a number corresponding to the number of said slats secured to the inner side of each longitudinal girder in lateral alignment with a corresponding support on the opposite longitudinal girder, said support comprising a profiled rod member of elastic material having a substantially flat side abutting against the respective longitudinal girder with a lower body portion and a headed top projection connected to said body by a medial rib on each side of which there is a slot, each end of said slats being notcheld to receive the medial rib of said support and having their ends extending into the slots of said support on each side of said medial rib, and means at the lower ends of said support for securing said support to said longitudinal girders in a manner permitting them to be bent outwardly under loading of said slats.

2. A frame according to claim 1, wherein said means at the lower portion of said supports includes openings for support pins at each end of said supports, and a support pin extending through said openings and secured to said longitudinal girder.

3. A frame for a couch comprising two longitudinal girders, pairs of equally spaced studs distributed uniformly along each of the girders, the studs on each girder facing corresponding studs on the other girder, a plurality of supports constituted by sections of a shaped elastic rod, distributed along the inner surface of the longitudinal girders and provided in their lower portion with a pair of holds engaging over the corresponding studs on the associated girder to make said lower portion of the support abut against the inner surface of the corresponding longitudinal girder, said supports having a body portion with a headed top projection connected to said body portion by a medial rib on each side of which there is a slot, the corresponding supports of the two girders facing each other, a series of slats extending transversely across and between the girders and each having a notch extending inwardly from each respective end which re ceives the medial rib of said support with the ends of the slats on each side of the notch extending intorespective slots on each side of the medial rib of said support.

4. A frame for a couch comprising two longitudinal girders, a plurality of elastic supports constituted by sections of a shaped elastic rod, distirbuted along the inner ends of the slats on each side of surface of the two longitudinal girders to bear against;

the latter through their cooperating sides, said supports resting on and being securedto theirinner shoulders :ad-

jacentrtheir lower ends in a manner permitting-their upper ends to move outwardly umder slat loading, the corresponding supports of the two girders facing each other and each including a body portion with a headed top projection connected'to said body portion by a medial rib on each side of which there is a slot, a series ofslats extending transversely across amid between the girders, each slat having a notch extending inwardly from each end which receives a medial rib of said' support with the the notch extending into respective slots on each :sideof the medial rib.

References Cited by the' Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,080,068 I 5/37 Weisman'fi 5208 2,225,858 12/40 Church 5309X 2,349,839 7 5/44- Api cella 5-237X 2,869,148 '1/59 1 Freedlander 5309X FOREIGN PATENTS 492,431 7/19 France.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FRAME FOR A LOUNGE AND SIMILAR PIECE OF FURNITURE, COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSED LONGITUDINAL GIRDERS, A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE SLATS SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID GIRDERS, A PLURALITY OF ELASTIC SUPPORTS IN A NUMBER CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER OF SAID SLATS SECURED TO THE INNER SIDE OF EACH LONGITUDINAL GIRDER IN LATERAL ALIGNMENT WITH A CORRESPONDING SUPPORT ON THE OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL GIRDER, SAID SUPPORT COMPRISING A PROFILED ROD MEMBER OF ELASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SIDE ABUTTING AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL GIRDER WITH A LOWER BODY PORTION AND A HEADED TOP PROJECTION CONNECTED TO SAID BODY BY A MEDIAL RIB ON EACH SIDE OF WHICH THERE IS A SLOT, EACH END OF SAID SLATS BEING NOTCHED TO RECEIVE THE MEDIAL RIB OF SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING THEIR ENDS EXTENDING INTO THE SLOTS OF SAID SUPPORT ON EACH SIDE OF SAID MEDIAL RIB, AND MEANS AT THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT FOR SECURING SAID SUPPORT TO SAID LONGITUDINAL GIRDERS IN A MANNER PERMITTING THEM TO BE BENT OUTWARDLY UNDER LOADING OF SAID SLATS. 